Ambulance Vic upgrades helicopter fleet

Ambulance Victoria's helicopter fleet will be replaced with a set of faster, larger aircraft that can travel longer distances without refuelling.

Health Minister David Davis said the new helicopters would be quicker to transport patients from rural areas to major trauma centres, bringing time-critical patients more than 250km away into Melbourne in less than an hour.

The five new helicopters will be operational from January 2016.

They will replace the existing aircraft that operate out of Essendon, Bendigo, the La Trobe Valley and Warrnambool.

"This means rural communities will have enhanced access to Ambulance Victoria's highest level of care and rapid transport to major trauma, cardiac and specialist hospitals," Mr Davis said.

The fleet includes a dedicated back-up helicopter to maintain services when heavy maintenance work is needed.

Ambulance Victoria CEO Greg Sassella said emergency response helicopters were usually military or transport helicopters that had been modified but Victoria's new fleet would be custom-built.

"They really are designed for emergency medical work," Mr Sassella said.

The new helicopters will be able to transport two stretcher patients at a time.

Their standard fit-out means Ambulance Victoria will be able to streamline their training and operational processes.

The upgrade will cost the Victorian government an estimated $550 million.